This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/04/mississippi-republican-primary-goes-to-run-off-with-chris-mcdaniel-leading-thad-cochran

The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Mississippi Republican primary goes to run-off with Chris McDaniel leading Thad Cochran Tea Party scores biggest win of 2014 as Mississippi primary heads to runoff
(about 11 hours later)
The The battle for control of the Republican party appeared far from over on Wednesday after a defeat for incumbent Mississippi senator Thad Cochran and a victory for an Iowa candidate who made her name with an ad about castrating hogs capped the most action-packed clutch of primary elections yet.
Republican primary in Mississippi, the most significant race involving a Despite a series of recent losses in North Carolina, Georgia and Kentucky, the Tea Party wing of the party scored its biggest win of the 2014 campaign season in a nail-bitingly close overnight race between establishment favourite Cochran and his more conservative opponent Chris McDaniel.
Tea Party insurgent seeking to dislodge an incumbent, ended on a knife-edge on Tuesday, with neither candidate able to secure sufficient votes to win the GOP nomination. With just a handful of precincts left to report by late Wednesday morning, McDaniel was ahead of Cochran by 2,100 votes, or 49.6% to 48.9%, although the narrowness of McDaniel's apparent win all but guarantees the two will meet again on June 24 in a run-off election to secure the party's nomination for the US Senate race.
By In Iowa, state senator Joni Ernst, who's appealed to both sides of her party, scoring endorsements from Sarah Palin and Mitt Romney while becoming a sensation in political circles for an ad in which she declared, “I grew up castrating hogs on an Iowa farm, so when I get to Washington, I'll know how to cut pork,” cleared a crowded Republican primary field to become the party's chosen candidate to take on Democrat Bruce Braley in what's likely to be a close race that could determine control of the Senate.
the early hours of Wednesday morning Chris McDaniel, a Tea Though they are still far to the right by historic standards, the triumph of establishment-backed candidates over the Tea Party in many states may make it much harder for Democrats to hold onto the Senate in an election cycle that has an unusual number of conservative-leaning states up for grabs.
Party-aligned state legislator, had edged Thad Cochran, Mississippi’s In contrast, the fact that McDaniel will likely win the run-off in Mississippi – such votes usually favor the challenger, whose supporters are more likely to be motivated to turn out – could put that deeply-red state in play for Democrats, who are running a right-wing campaign with pro-NRA, anti-abortion candidate Travis Childers.
76-year-old incumbent senator, into second place. For this reason it became one of the most closely watched and bizarre Republican primaries of 2014. It is the first time Cochran, a six-term incumbent, has been so seriously challenged from within his own party since he was first elected in 1978.
But Just two weeks ago McDaniel, a 41-year-old state senator with a deeply conservative record, was considered doomed after four of his supporters were arrested over a plot to smear Cochran by photographing his bedridden wife in the nursing home where she lives and posting the images on the internet.
with 98% of votes counted the race remained too close to call, McDaniel spent much of the last fortnight distancing himself from the incident, while Cochran's campaign seized on the arrests, airing a television commercial urging voters to “Rise up and say ‘no’ to dirty politics”.
although both camps indicated they expected the contest was heading As it became clear Tuesday's vote had not delivered a clear winner, there was a stark difference in mood at the rival campaign parties. Cochran chose not to give a speech. Instead, at around 11.30pm, his friend, the congressman Greg Harper, briefly informed supporters: “It's looking like a runoff.”
toward a runoff, which would be held on 24 June. In contrast, shortly before midnight McDaniel came out saluting supporters. He conceded the final vote count would probably not be confirmed until later on Wednesday but insisted the result was nonetheless “historic” for Mississippi.
It is the first time Cochran, a six-term incumbent, has been so successfully challenged from within his own party since he was first elected in 1978. “We are here tonight leading a 42-year incumbent,” he told a cheering crowd. “Whether it is tomorrow, or whether it is three weeks from now, we will stand victorious in this race.”
By the early hours of Wednesday morning 2% of votes had were still to be counted. By then McDaniel was leading Cochran by just 3,000 votes out of a total tally of more than 300,000. Ironically it was a virtually unknown third candidate named Thomas Carey who made the difference. He was trounced, garnering fewer than 6,000 votes – just 1.6% of the total – but that was sufficient to deny both his opponents victory.
Under Mississippi election rules the winning candidate must secure at least 50% of the vote to win the nomination. McDaniel had 49.6% of the vote compared with Cochran’s 48.8%. The Mississippi election was the most high-profile of the primaries taking place in eight states on Tuesday and had been expected to mark the culmination of a disappointing primary season for the Tea Party.
It was a nail-biting but inconclusive end to one of the most closely watched and bizarre Republican primaries of 2014.
Just
two weeks ago McDaniel, a 41-year-old state senator with a
deeply conservative record, was considered doomed after four of his
supporters were arrested over a disturbing plot to smear Cochran by
photographing his bedridden wife and posting the images on the internet.
McDaniel spent much of the last fortnight distancing himself from the incident, while Cochran's
campaign seized on the arrests, airing a television commercial urging
voters to “Rise up and say ‘no’ to dirty politics”.
A
McDaniel victory would constitute a major upset for the Republicans and could have repercussions for their goal of retaking the Senate
by winning at least six seats from Democrats in November's midterm
elections.
Trenchantly
conservative Mississippi had been considered a solidly Republican
state, but Democrats are hoping that if McDaniel secured the GOP nomination he would
turn off enough moderate voters to give them a chance of winning it. The Democrats' candidate, the former congressman Travis Childers, easily won his party’s
nomination on Tuesday, securing three-quarters of the vote.
The
close Republican primary appeared most likely to benefit McDaniel, who
analysts say would do better in two-candidate runoff, in which turnout
would be expected to be lower.
As it became clear the poll had not delivered a clear winner, there was a stark difference in mood at the rival campaign parties. Cochran
chose not to give a speech. Instead, at around 11.30pm, his friend, the congressman Greg Harper, briefly informed supporters: “It's looking like a runoff.”
In contrast, shortly
before midnight McDaniel came out saluting supporters.
He conceded the final vote count would probably not be confirmed until
later on Wednesday but insisted the result was nonetheless “historic”
for Mississippi.
“We
are here tonight leading a 42-year incumbent,” he told a cheering
crowd. “Whether it is tomorrow, or whether it is three weeks from now,
we will stand victorious in this race.”
Ironically it was a virtually unknown third candidate named Thomas Carey who made the difference. He
was trounced, garnering fewer than 6,000 votes – just 1.6% of the total – but it was sufficient to deny both his opponents victory.
The
Mississippi election was the most high-profile of the primaries taking
place in eight states on Tuesday and had been expected to mark the
culmination of a disappointing primary season for the Tea Party.
Over the last month Tea Party-backed candidates have failed in a string of Senate primaries, losing a high-profile battle in North Carolina, followed by decisive defeats in both Kentucky and Georgia.Over the last month Tea Party-backed candidates have failed in a string of Senate primaries, losing a high-profile battle in North Carolina, followed by decisive defeats in both Kentucky and Georgia.
Although Although one Tea Party-backed Senate candidate, Ben Sasse, won in Nebraska, and dozens of so-called “establishment” candidates were forced to adopt deeply conservative positions to run viable campaigns, the Republican leadership felt it was starting to quell the rightwing revolt.
one Tea Party-backed Senate candidate, Ben Sasse, won in Nebraska, and The battle between Cochran and McDaniel, perhaps more than any other primary in 2014, became a proxy war for conservative factions fighting for influence inside the GOP. The race was repeatedly described as the Tea Party’s “last stand”.
dozens of so-called “establishment” candidates were forced to adopt deeply conservative positions to run viable campaigns, the Republican leadership felt it was starting to quell the rightwing revolt. Outside groups spent $8m on the campaign, almost double what the candidates’ campaigns spent on the election. McDaniel in particular benefited from $4.8m spent invested by mostly Tea Party-aligned groups, supporting his candidacy or trashing Cochran's campaign.
The Now the spending spree – from both sides – is likely to resume during three more weeks of frenzied campaigning leading up to the run-off.
battle between Cochran and McDaniel, perhaps more than any other Elsewhere in the US, Neel Kashkari pulled out a comfortable win in the race to be the GOP's gubernatorial nominee in California, giving the party a better chance in that fight, though its campaign to defeat incumbent Democratic governor Jerry Brown will still be tough, if not impossible.
primary in 2014, became a proxy war for conservative factions fighting
for influence inside the GOP. The race was repeatedly described as the Tea Party’s “last stand”.
Outside
groups spent $8m on the campaign, almost double what the candidates’
campaigns spent on the election. McDaniel in particular benefited from
$4.8m spent invested by mostly Tea Party-aligned groups, supporting his
candidacy or trashing Cochran's campaign.
Now
the spending spree – from both sides – is likely to resume during
three more weeks of frenzied campaigning leading up to the run-off.
Other states hosting primaries on Tuesday were Alabama,
California, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, South Dakota – and Iowa, where there was another significant Republican contest.
Iowa
Republicans selected a state legislator, Joni Ernst, as their candidate
to replace the Democratic senator Tom Harkin, who is retiring. Iowa is one
of around a dozen Senate seats that could conceivably change hands in
November. Ernst will face Democrat Bruce Braley, a congressman who was
unopposed in his party’s primary.